The Terrible Fear of Paying the Poor Too Much

They’re passing legislation forbidding towns and counties from raising the minimum wage in their jurisdictions. Republicans insist: no pay bump
for those raking in $15,080 a year! On the other side, however, there’s no amount of pay, perks, private jets, premium health plans and golden
parachutes that Republican politicians believe could possibly be too much for a CEO.

That Oracle CEO Larry Ellison took home $78,440,657 last year is completely reasonable in the minds of Republicans. That it would take a minimum wage
earner 5,201 years to earn what Larry took out of his company for one 365-day period is, according to Republican-think, a morally correct
calculation.

That is why Republicans are working so hard to prevent Walmart and McDonald’s workers from earning more money while, at the same time, doing nothing
but congratulating
Time Warner Cable
CEO Rob Marcus for grabbing $79.9 million for six weeks of work.

Republicans don’t believe in paying a living wage to workers they disrespect, like the home health aides providing loving 24-hour care to the
frail grandmas of GOP politicians across this country, like the housekeepers who clean GOP presidential hopefuls’ hotel rooms as they campaign
across the nation, like the McDonald’s workers denied paid sick days who make extraordinary efforts not to cough on the fries that super-sized
Republicans stuff in their faces.

They’re so much better than the heart surgeon who spends all day every day meticulously saving people’s lives. They’re 331 times as important as
the firemen who rush into a burning home to save a woman’s life. They’re 331 time more valuable than the policemen and paramedics who ran toward
the sound of an explosion a year ago in Boston to rescue bomb victims. To Republicans, those CEOs are 331 times more precious than the teacher who
nurtures the shy child, encourages the faltering student or refuses to abandon the recalcitrant pupil.

I hope all members will actually look at the embedded links.
Think about how much CEOs are getting paid, and how many hours most of us Schmoes would have to work to reach that level.

I'm not talking about people making $500k, not even about people earning double that. I'm talking about the TRAVESTY of the disparity between the
workers who do the labor, and the CEOs who push pencils around and count cyber-beans...

it's abhorrent. NO ONE needs $29 MILLION per year. No one. Money should be trickling down to employees, but it isn't.

Now that 'money' is considered 'SPEECH' (according to the disastrous ruling of the SCOTUS recently), the hard-working Americans' 'dream' has been
destroyed. It's become a nightmare.

How any regular person could justify the obscene wealth that these very few people earn, while $250 BILLION - with a B - and 'capital' ILLION - goes
to corporate welfare, and 'too big to fail' policies lead us toward monopolies again, is beyond me. This entire system needs to be rethought.

There is a wealthy Conservative businessman in California (Silicone Valley) named Ron Unz who is/was pushing for a raise TO $10.00/hour, not $10
MORE than what they're earning now.

Here. Read about it:

'Corporate welfare'
The current system amounts to a form of "corporate welfare," Unz said. Major chains like Walmart and McDonald's keep their employees' wages low,
knowing the government will provide them with food stamps and medical care to compensate for their low pay.

An October study co-authored by researchers at the UC Berkeley Labor Center found that 52 percent of the families of fast-food workers are enrolled in
one or more public assistance programs, compared with 25 percent of the workforce as a whole.

RON UNZ:Right now, $250 billion a year in social welfare spending goes to workers who can't survive on their paychecks. What we're talking about
is a massive system of hidden government subsidies for these low-wage employers where they can shift the costs of the workforce over to the taxpayer.
I think businesses should stand on their own two feet and have to pay their workers instead of forcing the taxpayers to make up the
difference.

Furthermore, the price rises we're talking about are very much smaller than most people would realize. Wal-Mart is America's largest low-wage
employer. Three hundred thousand Wal-Mart workers average about $9 an hour. All Wal-Mart would have to do to cover a $12 minimum wage is raise their
prices by 1.1 percent one time. The average Wal-Mart shopper would pay only an extra $12.50 per year. People wouldn't even notice the price
hike.

Today in California, the polls show overwhelming support for a large rise in the minimum wage, and the idea has now been endorsed by
multi-billionaires of the left, right, and center. Let’s hope that such potent combination of dollars and voter sentiment quickly produces enacted
legislation and causes the issue to permanently vanish from the political radar screen just as would be suggested by my
theory.

McDonald’s and fast-food places would probably have to raise their prices by 8 or 9 percent, something like that. Agricultural products that
are American-grown would go up by less than 2 percent on the grocery shelves. And those sorts of price increases are so small that they would be
almost unnoticed in most cases by the
consumer.

I know this will rankle a lot of members here, but I want to know what you think about these facts. PLEASE read the articles and check the links if
you are unfamiliar with these arguments.
And then, let's discuss it. Cool? I started a thread the other day about how to overhaul campaign finance, but no one was interested.
Why not? Is it not a problem?

You will get the normal blocks heads arguing that people should not get paid a decent wage to live on yet arguing that welfare to help people survive
is wrong too.

So what is it? Either you get paid enough to live on or you have to get hand outs? What is it?

Unless you want a society were people starve to death and live in 3rd world poverty.

And I agree we are not talking the high paid skilled professional s here, I have no issue with a Doctor or lawyer earning millions if skilled enough.
Neither do I have a issue with entrepreneurs earning a few billion, the Richard Bransons and bill Gates of the world gave as many good things.

What gets me is the family dynasty and members of the old boys network who get paid these stupid sums for just being "born". These banking, oil and
co operate dynasty's are sucking up and monopolizing resources at as unsustainable rate.,

I don't understand how people don't get it. If the average workers pay and consumption is increasing at a miniscule rate or worse decreasing yet
the very very top are increasing there pay and resource consumption at 300 + percent then eventually things will get to a point were they will control
everything! everyone else will be slaves or useless eaters. Its simple mathematics.

Thank you, gentlemen.
I also think we (the US) should reinstate tariffs and establish 'global business' taxes - any US company doing business overseas has to pay the people
there the same wage their American state-side counterparts make, or, at least pay the same taxes they SHOULD (not would, because they don't pay
enough as it is) no matter where they are doing business. Off-shoring and out-sourcing has become a HUGE problem.

There should also be taxes on "unearned income"...
again, simple math...
but I didn't want to get too heavy in this one thread...

Politicians in a Republic or Democracy should earn what the average wage of there state or county is. That will give them a incentive to do there
jobs properly, maybe a bonus that the public can vote to deny

I have a feeling this will fall on deaf ears mainly due to the fact that it blows up the idea that raising minimum wage will also raise prices
dramatically. If I can recall correctly, Jack N the Box did a conference call with investors recently where the CEO flat out said prices would only
have to raise less than 1 percent at stores to cover a hike in minimum wage.

Even though the CEO of Jack N the box said that, people still ignored it and continue to repeat this false notion of prices will be outrageous by
giving poor workers more money. I cant understand it for the life of me. I hear people going on and on about the "welfare state" and how its
destroying america, but nobody wants to pay .10 extra cent for a burger or really go after this companies that are forcing us to subsidize their poor
workers existence.

Before anybody ask im not a Democrat or a Republican, Im part of a political party called the Human Beings that are for the betterment of everybody as
a whole not a select few.

The Walmarts and McDonaldses need to remember two things: 1.) they would be nothing without their employees and 2.) what goes around comes back
around.

And the people need to remember something too...band together or you're screwed. These companies care nothing about you at all. They believe they are
god. This was all a very carefully phased plan, and why do you think one of the very first things they did before starting to offshore jobs was to
dissolve the unions?

It is a sad state of affairs in America, and other rich countries, when a full time worker working 40 hours a week or more can't make enough to live
off or support their family and needs to rely on government benefits and full time work aswell to survive. Big business loves cheap labour, that's why
everything is made in China and Asia and manufacturing is shrinking in countries with above dirt pay.

A lot of right wingers like the US Republicans are fans of let the free market take care of everything, but that doesn't always work and they were
faced with moral hazard and too big to fail and had no choice but to go against their market principals and do trillion dollar bailouts in the global
financial crisis of 2008. Money, profit and greed rule and have the real power.

And if all those low-wage employees called in sick on the same day - whether Walmart or McDonalds (paid or unpaid - just call in sick) or hotel
housekeepers or CNAs in the nursing homes that care for the elderly parents of the 'congressmen' - well -
it would make a HUGE statement.

A fine example of Parasitism. Free will only for those on the top controlling everyone else. The feudal system is already here and the pyramid system
ones more fail in bringing good for all citizens based on merit and effort.

It's sad. I agree.
I gguess it really is a new feudalism. There is more than enough for those at the top to live in luxury and then some. It's the "and then some" that
they are hoarding instead of propping up the plebes.

We'll get a bone thrown to us soon. Just enough to keep the system perpetuating. I guess you have to be raised in the environment of greed in order
to get the mentality. I couldn't sleep at night as a billionaire knowing I could literally change the world.

Now . Now. Let's us all just calm down.
We all know who are the real job creators. After all, they have to hire some one to drive that fancy new car and what about the new boat or plane. You
don't expect these owners to drive themselves do you?
And what about all those miles they put on these toys. Do you think they change the oil in the engine or change a bad tire?
Come, come, people give this situation a little more thought.
Along with all this responsibility they desearve a big payday. Surely all this work builds up a ferocious appetite, so they have to get paid a lot to
be able to buy all that food.
Of course after they retire, all fat and happy, they will be easier to catch.
You know when we start to eat the rich.

There's one word a billionaire's servant should never say.
"No."
"Banish it from your vocabulary," wide-eyed recruits are told. Because when money is no object, neither is the extent staff are expected to go in
satisfying their master's most extravagant desires.
The financial titans of the world don't just require service par excellence -- they demand superheroes at their beck and call.
People willing to swim in jellyfish-infested water, survive on four hours sleep a night, and accept every criticism with not so much as a raised
eyebrow.
Observant stewards must become instant experts on their wealthy boss's favorite meals, music tastes, heavens above even their bowel movements.

And if these foot soldiers of hospitality don't make the grueling regime look easy -- or keep quiet about the high profile lives on board -- then
they're out of a job paying anything from $1,000 to $6,000 a week.

One, who didn't want to be named, will be taking the place of her supervisor who recently got fired. "It's very tough," she says. "If they
don't like your hair or the way your voice sounds, you're out."

My translation, you can only fill a cup so far before everything in the cup over flows..
Meaning you can give all the money to the poor, it still doesn't make them feel rich.. It actually makes them poorer..

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